Health Library

Mouth Guards and Dental Emergencies

The importance of mouthguards

A mouthguard, usually a flexible piece of plastic that fits into the mouth, should be worn during all recreational and athletic activities to protect the mouth and teeth from serious injury--especially activities where there is contact or potential contact with another person, piece of equipment, or the ground. In particular, mouthguards should be worn during the following sports:

Football

Basketball

Soccer

Rugby

Wrestling

Baseball

Softball

Lacrosse

Field hockey

Ice hockey

Martial arts

Boxing

Some of these sports require the use of a mouthguard at the amateur level.

Many recreational activities, such as skateboarding and bicycling, also pose a risk of injuring the mouth and teeth. Exercise caution during these activities.

Mouthguards and preventable injuries

Injuries to the teeth, mouth, and head may include the following, many of which could be prevented with proper and consistent use of a mouthguard:

Dislodged or knocked out tooth/teeth

Broken or chipped tooth

Bitten or lacerated tongue and/or lip

Objects caught or lodged between the teeth

Jaw fracture

Jaw collision. This is when the lower jaw gets jammed into the upper jaw.